Unbreakable
by Takada Saiko
Summary: A new enemy comes to Gotham and Batman has strictly forbidden our young heroes to go after him. With Batman out of the country, Robin and Batgirl are left to patrol Gotham. They will find out just why they should have listened to Batman. R&R please
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, I discovered Young Justice some few months back and fell instantly in love. Two things caught my attention on it: Firstly, I am a Dick Grayson fan. I have been as far back as I can remember. I wasn't fond of the idea of Nightwing when I discovered him, but hey, I was about twenty years too late on that, so what could I do? I have always preferred Dick as Robin, so the fact that he is in this series is a major plus. Secondly, as a cartoonist myself, I am very picky over my cartoons that I watch. I would love to watch the Teen Titans show that was on Cartoon Network or even Batman: The Brave and the Bold, because it appears that Dick is in both of those as well, but I just can't for the life of me get passed the artwork. It makes me cringe, and I just can't take it seriously. No offense to those that enjoy it. Kudohs, because they look like they could be fantastic story lines, but hey, I'm picky. That being said, I think Young Justice is brilliant in their art, their story line, and their characterization. I'm in love with this show.

So this is my first fic for it. It's an idea that has been bouncing around in my head for some time now, in various formats. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope I live up to the awesomeness that is this show.

**Unbreakable**

His orders had been clear: he was not to engage. There were no ifs. There were no buts. There was only that one, single order that must be obeyed beyond anything while Batman was away. He was not, under any circumstances, allowed to engage Tommy Lacko.

Robin felt the grip around his neck tighten and his airway was constricted a little more. He choked, struggling to pull himself free. The man was bigger, stronger, and more deadly than he was, but that was nothing new. He was young, small, and fairly scrawny for as in shape as he was. Still, with all his training – and he was trained by the best – he could not free himself.

"Too bad he won't see your death with his own eyes," Lacko chuckled. "I'm sure it would bring back memories of your first encounter, yes?"

The Boy Wonder grit his teeth, struggling harder. "What do you know?" he forced out.

A smile, if it could be called that, pulled the villain's lips in an upward direction. He flashed pearly teeth and leered, his voice dropping so that only his young captive could hear him. "I know that I will see Bruce Wayne crumble, and that is all I live for."

Robin's eyes widened behind his mask and he felt himself being tossed into the air. It was a long drop. He didn't know how far. Twenty feet? Thirty? Too far. Too far even for him. The order had been so simple. Do not engage. Under any circumstance, do not engage. Well, it wasn't like they had gone _looking_ for him.

**4 Hours Earlier**

"Seriously? You've been patrolling Gotham on your own?"

Robin glanced behind him where Wally had been running his mouth non-stop for the past ten minutes. At least. The question might have been asked more than that one time, but it would have been lost in the rambles of the speedster. Not that the younger team member was ignoring him… entirely.

"Well, Batgirl and I have been," Robin admitted with a shrug as he finished up the codes in the computer system. "Let Kaldur know that I updated the security system like I said I would."

"You're leaving? You just got here, dude! We haven't seen you in a week!"

Robin sighed, resisting the urge to remove his sunglasses so that he could rub his eyes as hard as he could. Between studying for midterms, patrol, and his duties to his own team, he'd barely slept. Had Batman been in town, he would have been forbidden from duty during a testing week, but the sudden appearance of the mysterious Tommy Lacko had thrown usual out the window. The Dark Knight had left for Europe a week before, leaving Gotham City in the hands of his younger partner and the fiery Batgirl that had more than proven her worth. Well, if they failed finals because of this week, at least he wouldn't be alone in it.

"I'm meeting Batgirl in thirty minutes. I have to get back to the Cave and get some things ready before hand."

"Let me come."

"Don't you have things to do here?"

Wally shot him a glare. "Really? In The Land of Boredom? Bats may have left you something to do, but he left the team with nothing. C'mon, man! Let me come to Gotham with you. You could always use an extra hand. You people have all the crazies there. More than some places."

"True," Robin answered with a smirk. "Doesn't hurt that you know Batgirl's along for the ride either, does it?"

A grin spread across the elder boy's face. "A pretty redhead _never_ hurts, Rob, you know that."

The Boy Wonder choked back a laugh. "You'd never stand a chance."

"And you do?"

"More than you! Anyway, I thought blondes were more your style now."

"Please tell me that you're arguing over a new assignment," Artemis grumbled, making her presence known. Both boys at least had the decency to blush at the knowledge that they had been overheard. She stretched, looking irritated. "Really, Robin, when's Batman coming back so we can have something to do?"

"He's still out of town. And I've got to go, Wally."

"I'm coming too!"

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not? We fight together all the time. What's different?"

"You'd be in _his_ city," Artemis answered for the dark haired acrobat. "It's different, Wally. Stay out of his business."

"I just want to _meet_ her, Rob! Just set it up!"

"No!"

"You scared of a little competition?"

"I'm not dating her!"

"Coulda fooled me!"

Robin let out a low growl of frustration. "Good luck," he directed at Artemis.

"If we all go, then it'll cut the time you have to spend down and you'll be able to get some sleep tonight," Wally called after the retreating form, stopping Robin in his tracks. The boy turned as if he were listening, but didn't say a word. "Seriously, you look like a walking zombie. We could help, Rob. What else are friends for?"

"Not getting me in trouble."

"We wouldn't get you in trouble. If anything, we'd help you do a better job."

Robin glanced at Artemis, surprised to hear her change directions so quickly. The idea of going to Gotham in order to fight seemed to have overridden her normal desire to stay away from the city while in costume.

"Did I hear that we're going to Gotham?" Conner asked from the doorway.

"Oooh! I like Gotham!" M'gann chimed in.

"It does seem as if it would be a good idea to stretch our legs," Kaldur said, somehow appearing behind where the originators of the conversation stood.

"Wait," Robin tried to plead, but was cut off by Zatanna, sounding more chipper than she had in some time.

"I've never been to Gotham! When do we leave?"

Robin sighed, defeated. "Suit up. I need to meet up with Batgirl in twenty minutes. We'll meet you at the portal there." He didn't wait for any complaints or comments as he stepped through the Zeta-beam, feeling himself being transported to the place where they would meet him. As he jogged towards the place where Alfred was undoubtedly waiting on his very late passenger to take him back to the Cave, Robin tried to push down any feelings of uneasiness that he had. What could go wrong?

* * *

><p>"So does Batman not provide you with a watch to go along with that utility belt?"<p>

Robin cringed. The voice belonged to the newest member of what he had begun to dub the "Bat Family." Batgirl stood from where she had been sitting in Batman's computer chair – a feat she never could have managed had he been within a hundred mile radius of the Cave – and propped her hands on her hips, looking a bit perturbed.

"We're going to have company tonight," Robin said by means of explanation as he moved to grab his suit from its place and disappeared behind a wall to change. He heard Batgirl shift on the other side, shuffling closer, then away, and finally moving again.

"Your little justice buddies?"

"Yeah," Robin sighed, not feeling like fighting with her over her mockery of the group. At least she hadn't called it "play group" this time.

"Artemis too?"

Robin walked back around the wall, uniform in place sans his mask. "Yes. What's your problem with her anyway?"

"No problem," Batgirl answered with a shrug. "I just don't know if she can be trusted."

"Don't judge someone on something they haven't even done," the younger boy murmured seriously, placing his mask over his dark blue eyes. "Anyway, you should be more worried about Kid Flash tonight. He wants to meet you."

The redhead groaned. "I've heard."

"Seriously?"

"You'd mentioned him before."

"Are you two set?"

The two junior heroes looked over to where the aging butler stood gazing at them. Robin flashed a grin. "Ready to go. We'll see you in a few hours, Al. Don't wait up."

"I will be up when you return. Please do not forget that Master Bruce's flight touches down in the earliest hours of the morning. I'd suggest that you be back before he is. Testing week and all."

"He wants it all done," Robin sighed. "Will do, Alfred. Thanks."

"We taking the Batmobile?" Batgirl asked, flashing a grin of her own.

Robin snorted. "Yeah. Right. He really would kill me then."

* * *

><p>The team was waiting for them when they arrived at the zeta portal. Robin and Batgirl killed the engines on their bikes and she threw a wary look at Kid Flash who mistook it as a wink and lit up.<p>

"This is your city, Robin," Aqualad said as the younger boy approached. "Please, take the lead tonight."

The Boy Wonder nodded, appreciative. Something was tugging his usual jovialness down a few notches that night, and it wasn't the awkward flirting that his best friend was trying to lay on the unimpressed Batgirl. He shrugged it off as exhaustion, knowing that even his energy did have boundaries, even if they were vast. All he wanted to do was make the rounds that night and be back in bed by the time Bruce's plane touched down. With the help he was receiving that night, it just might be plausible.

Gotham was relatively quiet that night. The moon was bright, shedding enough light that the baddies of the city seemed to be lurking only in their dark corners. Sure, there was the occasional mugging, one man that thought that the sale sign in a darkened window actually meant free, and a purse snatcher that found his feet tied just a few feet past his mark. All in all, for Gotham City without a Batman, it was a quiet night.

_This is boring!_ Kid Flash announced loudly over the telepathic link, causing Batgirl to jump.

_How do you get used to this? _she demanded irritably, the others feeling the glare over the link that was directed only at the speedster.

_To my awesomeness? I'm afraid you don't. You will always be in wonder, pretty girl._

_ I think I'm going to go be sick now. Thanks for that._

_ Enough, _Aqualad sighed, sounding distracted.

_You see that? _Robin, having been quiet for some time now, chimed in.

_I did. Shall we pursue? _

The team could all but feel their moods lift as their eyes caught sight of the suspicious looking trucks moving into an old warehouse some yards away. Men in black jackets were glancing around, uneasy, and motioning the trucks inside. Guns were just barely visible under the jackets.

_No harm in checking it out, _Robin answered, already on his way towards the site.

The team flanked out, Wally pouting across their link that Batgirl had not ducked into the same entrance as he had. The warehouse showed to be mostly one large room with a second half-floor, not much more than extended scaffolding, looming high above to store large crates. The same boxes, marked in a foreign language, littered the room.

"I'm going to kill your friend if he doesn't leave me alone," Batgirl murmured very lowly as she and Robin found their entrance to the higher ground. The stairs were sturdy, but shallow and steep. They ducked behind a stack of crates when they reached the top, peeking over so they could see what was around them.

"He's really not that bad," the Boy Wonder promised. "Just ignore him. That's what everyone else does."

_Robin?_

_ Up here, Aqualad, _Robin answered as he peeked over his box, catching the elder teen's gaze from below. They were scattered all around the large room, with Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, and Miss Martian on the lower level. Artemis and Zatanna had taken the high road along with Robin and Batgirl. _What do you see from your view?_

Robin squinted, watching the men move. Their faces were not masked, but they wore baseball caps pulled snuggly low so that their faces were covered from his vantage point. _A lot of suspicious movement, but nothing concrete._

_ Hey! Those three on the far left have been wanted for questioning by Gotham PD for months! _Batgirl nearly squealed, seeming to get her point across telepathically with no real difficulty.

_How do you know that? _Kid Flash asked.

_Friends in high places. Wait, is that – _

_ It is! _Robin answered, eyes widening behind his mask as a tall, brawny man stepped out from one of the trucks. He was dressed in a tailored suit, expensive, and ran his hands through his hair. He moved as if he had been cramped in the back of the truck for some hours, and this was the first chance he had to stretch his legs.

_I thought you said that Tommy Lacko was overseas. Isn't that why Batman left?_

_ I don't know, Zatanna. All I know is that we've got to get word to him and get it there fast! _Robin moved very slightly from his crouched position, and turned towards the exit. He saw the guard only a half a second before he was seen. The man had his gun trained on the two young heroes. _Stay down! _

"Look at what we have here," the man sneered, glancing between the two. "Bat's sidekicks. Hey, boss! You said they'd come and here they are! Just like ya said!"

_Robin! _

The Boy Wonder grit his teeth. His team was crying out from their various hiding places, unsure if they should move forward or not. He wasn't willing to risk them. Not just yet. Not when they hadn't been discovered. There were three trucks, and ten thugs plus Lacko down below. The one with the gun was nothing special from the looks of him, and Robin knew their chances.

_Get ready. We're going to distract and get out of here, _he warned. _Batgirl?_

_ Ready._

_ Now?_

_ Ready now!_

The teens moved in opposite directions, reading each other's movements as well as their enemies. Shots were fired at the place where they had stood moments before, but they were long gone. The thug never knew what hit him as Robin went high, boot slamming hard into the man's skull and Batgirl swept his feet out from under him for good measure.

"There're more, boss!" a voice rang out from below and all chaos broke loose. Robin could see more thugs racing out of the parked trucks, his team suddenly engaged in a battle that they were supposed to stay miles away from. Do not engage. Under any circumstance. Do not engage.

Zatanna and Artemis had come out of hiding, the young magician aiming her spells at their enemies as the archer aimed her arrows. Aqualad's water-bearers came to life, cutting through foes and knocking them one over the next. Kid Flash hopped and sped around them, dodging bullets and punches alike. Superboy had a small group encircling him and he smiled, taking them out easily.

_What was Batman worried about? _he called out over the link. _These guys are pathetic!_

Robin and Batgirl found their own small group of baddies and were releasing all the pent-up frustration of testing week on them. The Boy Wonder laughed, almost forgetting the direct order that he found himself disobeying. He didn't realize that someone was approaching from behind. His usual sense for that sort of thing failed him. He didn't know if it was his own exhaustion or something of Lacko's doing, but the elder man had a hold of his cape before the teen realized it and he was pulled clear off his feet.

"Robin!" Batgirl cried as a strong arm of one of her opponents went around her neck and a gun was put right to her temple. She struggled, regardless, and tried to free herself.

"Quiet, girl, or we'll discover if the bird can truly fly," Lacko growled menacingly.

Batgirl ceased her struggling, going rigid as the tall man swung her friend closer to the ledge. _We could use some help up here._

_ We're stopped on every side, _Artemis grumbled.

_I suppose there was something to the warning after all, _Aqualad lamented.

"Impressive children, aren't you? The best of the best when it comes to daddy's little helpers." Lacko pulled Robin close so that he was staring straight at his mask. The boy stared defiantly back. "I knew you would come here. There was no question in my mind. After all, _he_ trained you, didn't he?"

Robin set his jaw, determined not to give into the bating. After a moment of silence, Lacko shifted his grip, taking hold of the boy's neck and hauling him off the ground so that his feet were dangling over the ledge. Two small gloved hands wrapped desperately around large wrists as their owner fought for his breath. It only took one hand to hold the child, and with the other he relieved him of his utility belt and all the handy trinkets that he kept inside of it.

"Too bad he won't see your death with his own eyes," Lacko chuckled. "I'm sure it would bring back memories of your first encounter, yes?"

"What do you know?" Robin gasped out.

"I know that I will see Bruce Wayne crumble, and that is all I live for."

He tossed Robin, sending the boy flying up and out, and then plummeting down. Robin could hear his name echoing both over the psychic link as well as verbally, bouncing off the walls of the old warehouse. It had all been a setup. Everything had been a setup. This man knew who Bruce was and he'd gone after the weakest link to get to him. Guess who that was. Again.

No belt. No time. Only instinct. Dick Grayson had learned to walk on a tightrope. He knew how to slow a fall and how to move his body in mid-air to grab onto whatever he needed to keep from making impact. The problem was this wasn't the circus. There was no net. This wasn't practice. There was no Bruce to stand back and tell him what he did wrong and what must be corrected. There was, though, a small ledge jutting out just over and below. He shifted, mid-air, like no one _should_ be able to do. Then he hit. Hard. He hit and felt his body roll off, slamming the rest of the way down to the ground where he wasn't entirely sure he didn't bounce at least once. He landed on his shoulder first and he could almost hear it pop out of place as he rolled and finally stopped face down.

"We're done here, boys," Lacko's voice echoed over the open area and Robin felt everything fade to black.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

A/N: Questions? Comments? Concerns? Irate demands for more? Cookies to feed the author with? Anything, really, is appreciated. Well, unconstructive criticism isn't, but hey, like those that would leave it care about my comments here. Let me know how this is, because, as I mentioned, this is my first YJ story. I'm hoping to have everyone IC and such. Let me know, and look out for the next chapter soon!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So I feel absolutely horrible today. So bad that I'm home from work. That being said, if I miss something major in the editing on this, I apologize. Thank you for the lovely reviews!

On the list of why I adore YJ so very much is Dick and Bruce's relationship. Bruce always was a proponent of tough love, but there was a day when he seemed to not only care about Dick, but show him in his own way. I feel like in recent years (especially since the whole falling out and Robin becoming Nightwing and such) that's been forgotten. I love their dynamic (no pun intended) and I've always liked a Batman who shows tough love and a gentler Bruce Wayne who is just trying to figure the whole parenting thing out without looking like it. Oh, and the question was asked if this was a Robin/Batgirl or a Robin/Zatanna story. All I'll say is that I've never thought there was anyone in the entire DC universe that was better suited for Dick Grayson than Barbara Gordon, no matter what they go through. It's not a romance story, so I'm trying not to lean heavily on that, but I will say I have heavy, heavy tendencies towards DickXBabs, and they're apparent.

Just a note. Enjoy!

**Unbreakable**

"…any way to contact Batman…?"

"…should not move him…"

"He's coming around!"

"Robin, can you hear us?"

Everything hurt. It wasn't the ache after a tough fight, but the pounding of injury. There was no gentle awakening back to consciousness. Robin jarred, choking and sputtering, still feeling the sensation of falling through the open air. It was a sensation he enjoyed, truth be told, but only when he knew he could control that fall at any given moment. He had only scraped together a plan on this fall, and he knew that the fact that his eyes were opening and he saw the faces of his worried friends that he had come out luckier than he should have ever hoped. The next bit of luck came when he wiggled his toes and fingers, feeling a painful tingle that spoke of multiple injuries, but he could feel them. That was another good sign.

"I can hear you," he croaked.

Batgirl came into view, her pretty red hair falling in his face so that it tickled his nose. She smelled good. Like that strawberry shampoo that she had left at the manor once after staying late when her father and Bruce were both at a social event. Her cheeks were even flushing red, almost matching the color of her –

"We can all hear you," Artemis deadpanned.

Robin felt his own face flush and Batgirl was suddenly several feet away, mumbling incoherently under her breath and sneaking a strand of her hair to her nose to test the younger boy's thoughts.

"Are you alright?" Aqualad questioned as he laid a hand on Robin's shoulder.

The Boy Wonder cringed. "It's out of socket, but other than that and some really deep bruises, I think so."

"I can put it back in for you," Artemis offered and she rolled her eyes at the skeptical look she received. "What?"

Robin shifted and then nodded, accepting the help with only a little reluctance. He heard Aqualad explain the situation as Artemis' fingers moved over his injured shoulder, checking what she needed to in order to push it back into place. Lacko had ordered his men's retreat after Robin had landed. They hadn't stopped to check him, but the fall should have done most people in. They'd underestimated the former circus acrobat. Robin grinned and snapped off a quip about he knew how to fall right, at least, and Artemis moved his shoulder back into place. He bit back the cry fairly successfully.

It took a few minutes for him to get up without too much dizziness, and he promised his team that he would make sure to have a doctor look at him as soon as he as able.

"You do not know the extent of your injuries," Aqualad pointed out.

"I'm fine, really. Batgirl can make sure I get back to the Cave okay and past that… well, I'm okay. I got lucky."

The elder teen did not look convinced, but he did not challenge him. He simply sighed, resigned, and turned. "We will be going back to Mount Justice if you need anything, my friend."

"Thanks for the help tonight."

"Of course. Will you tell Batman what was done?"

Robin pursed his lips together, leaning heavily against a doorframe. "We'll see. It may not have any baring on the case, but we'll see."

"You'll contact us if anything happens to him, right?" Zatanna asked, glancing between Batgirl and where Robin and Aqualad were talking.

"Yes. Absolutely," the redhead answered, giving her a reassuring smile. "If he says he's fine, then he is, though. Surprisingly enough, he's a really bad liar."

"Or better than you think," Artemis piped in.

Batgirl glared. "Not everyone likes to keep their friends in the dark," she snapped, ready to get into whatever spat the blonde would dish out.

"Hey," Robin called, breaking it up before it began. "You ready?"

The redhead sniffed, turning without acknowledging the archer in her exit. She moved to help her younger friend, but he waved her off. It was going to be a long trek back to the manor, and they would arrive long after they had meant to. It wasn't as big of an ordeal for Batgirl, as Barbara Gordon was, supposedly, at the manor studying all evening and had called her father to let him know she would be making use of one of the large home's many spare bedrooms. Bruce was due in at any hour though, by the time they arrived, and Robin shed his costume with no great enthusiasm. He looked tired, Barbara thought as she dragged a brush through her hair and pulled it up in a ponytail. He looked tired and sick.

"You going to be okay? You took a fall."

"I know. I came off of it lucky. I'll see Doc Leslie after classes tomorrow."

"You mean later today?" Barbara grinned.

Dick shot her a lopsided smirk. "Yeah. After I kick your butt on the chemistry midterm."

"You wish!" She laughed as they started up the stairs. The young acrobat moved slowly, stiffly, but that was to be expected. They'd made it in after Alfred had left to pick Bruce up at the airport, but not before they had returned. It gave both teens just enough time to hit the showers and crawl into bed.

Dick barely remembered the shower, much less anything surrounding it as he fell into bed. He felt sick, and the ache across his ribs had turned into a deep, painful throb that could not be washed away by the hot water of the shower. He curled up around his pillows, tears welling up in his eyes. He would not cry. He was Robin, the Boy Wonder, Batman's trusted partner and protégé. He would not cry. He felt a pained tear fall down his cheek as he lost himself to sleep.

* * *

><p>Bruce Wayne was not a fan of mornings. He had always preferred nights, even as a small child, and in his line of work, that helped. It was mornings like this though – after a long flight and a dead end on a case that he really would have preferred to have wrapped up far away from his family and friends – that he simply wanted to sleep in his oversized bed without any care of the world.<p>

Of course Luscious had scheduled a meeting for 9AM. That made perfect sense. Bruce groaned at the thought.

"Where's Dick?"

Alfred perked at the name. "He should be down any moment, sir."

"Haven't seen him yet. Good morning, Barbara. Productive night of studying?"

The redhead looked about as pleased as her father's friend at being conscious at that hour. "Yeah. Right. Because the crazies of Gotham care what Dick and I make on midterms."

"Busy night?"

"You can say that. Where is short stuff?"

Alfred rose from his place, ready to attend to waking his young master, but Bruce beat him to it. "I'll get him. I need to see him anyway."

Bruce climbed the stairs and wound the corner, the path familiar and deeply implanted in his mind. He knocked lightly on the large door that led to the room that he had once slept in as a child and cracked it open. "Dick? You up, chum?" he called softly.

The room was still dark, with the exception of the large window allowing the slightest bit of morning light to sneak in past the dark curtains. The light fell on the sleeping form of one Richard Grayson, former acrobat of Haley's Circus and current ward to Bruce Wayne. Said billionaire couldn't help but smile at the sight of the boy, shaking his head as he approached. He had to be stern once Dick woke, but for now, with the sleeping boy unable to see his expression, he could allow it to soften slightly. "C'mon, chum," he urged, reaching out to ruffle the teen's dark hair. He pulled his hand back slightly, feeling the heat radiating off of his skin. "Dick?"

Dick groaned, turning into Bruce's cool touch. He was hot beneath large hands and blue eyes struggled to open. "Bruce?" he moaned.

The hall lights filtered into the room as the door was pushed open a little more. "Is he okay?" Barbara's frightened voice whispered into the dark room.

Bruce turned his gaze back. "Start talking."

"I… We were on patrol last night. Dick, me, and his team. The other sidekicks. Partners. We were on patrol so that we could wrap it up and come home and study."

"Go on." The boy was not waking fully, but he'd grabbed onto Bruce's arm, clinging as if his very life depended on it. The elder man leaned down, noting the paleness of his skin in the morning light and how clammy he felt to the touch. He glanced further down the hall, needing the butler very suddenly. Rising panic would do nothing. He needed to help Dick. "Alfred!"

"Well, we didn't mean to, really we didn't, because Dick said you'd told him to avoid him at all costs…"

"You confronted Tommy Lacko, didn't you?"

"We didn't mean to. We were investigating and it turned out to be him. He caught us before we could get word to you. He seemed to know that we would come."

"What happened, Barbara?"

The young girl looked startled. She had never truly felt the need to be afraid of Bruce Wayne. Batman, at times, made her uneasy, but she never would show it. She knew a lot of hardheads. They tended to work for her father, but this… Batman's voice coming from Bruce's mouth was a new experience for her. Dick looked so small and helpless in his mentor's arms, and the elder man held him as if he might break. It frightened her.

"Call Leslie," Bruce demanded of Alfred over the teen's shoulder. He softened his tone. "Go on."

"Don't be mad at him."

"Go on."

"Lacko threw him off the scaffolding," Barbara said in a rush, as if the speed of the words would lessen their impact. "He fell… He caught himself, but he didn't have a rope or anything. He fell a long ways. We thought that since he could get up and walk away from it that he must be okay. He said he was okay." Her words were coming in quick gasps now, and tears stood in her green eyes. "Bruce, please, tell me he's okay."

He had not felt this level of worry for his ward since the incident with Two Face that had nearly ended the boy's career before it had truly begun. Bruce pushed the feelings aside as he used his free hand, the other occupied by Dick's much smaller hands, to unbutton the child's pajama top, revealing the deep bruising that had begun to spread across his torso. His left shoulder was discolored, appearing painful at first sight.

Bruce sighed heavily, stroking his son's damp hair back. "Let's get him through this, then we'll talk."

"Yes sir."

"You should get to class."

"But-"

"I'll send word to the teacher that Dick is ill. He'll have to make up his tests. You don't have that excuse."

Barbara felt fear knot her stomach. "Yes sir," she murmured, feeling very much like she were talking to her father. "But… please…."

"I'll make sure he comes through," Bruce vowed.

Leslie had not been happy. She had required Bruce's help only to take his young partner down to the Batcave so that she could treat him properly, but then ushered him out. Once he returned from taking the very reluctant Barbara to school, Alfred was allowed in the Cave, leaving its master in the manor.

Bruce sat in the library, eyes fixated on the grandfather clock as if willing the door behind it to open and reveal either Leslie or Alfred to deliver good news. No matter how hard he glared, the clock remained stationary, and he was lost only to his personal thoughts for the hours on end. He had all ready contacted his office, explaining to Luscious that he would be unable to make the meeting – or any for the rest of the week – as Dick had grown very ill in the night and needed him there.

The echo of the grandfather clock's ticking time away was the only sound that filled the room. It left Bruce to think of many things. His parents. Dick's parents. The fall that they had taken that had cost them their lives. He thought of the fist time that Dick had been truly hurt on the job and how he had taken the costume away. A shudder passed through him as he thought of the hurt look on the boy's face. He couldn't bear that again. No, this time it was not Dick's fault. He had left him wide open for the assault, and he was the only one that could be blamed. He should have told him who Lacko was. He should have trusted him.

The clock chimed as it slid open, revealing a very tired looking Alfred Pennyworth at the top of the Cave's stairs. "Dr. Thompkins says that you may see him," he said, or at least would have said had Bruce not been halfway down the stairs by the time he finished.

The Dark Knight cringed at the sound of beeping and whining machines. They pushed air through a mask and down the boy's throat, watched his pulse, and he was sure that at least some of the bags dripping down to the IV held painkillers that could keep any normal child his age out for a week. Dick was stubborn.

"He'll be okay," Leslie murmured as she moved passed him, "but we can't keep doing this."

"I know," Bruce answered and laid a hand against his son's cheek. The fever had fallen some, but he was still warm to the touch.

"It's a wonder he made it home last night," she continued, glancing back at him from the corner of her eye as she stashed medical equipment away. "He must have been running off of pure adrenaline."

The dark haired man made only a small sound of acknowledgment as he pulled a chair up so that he could sit by his Dick's side. After a moment of silence he took the boy's hand in his own. "How bad was it?"

"You mean 'is it'? He has a long way to go on recovery. Fractured ribs, deep bruising, internal bleeding – that's why you couldn't wake him this morning –, a shoulder that was put back into place by an amateur, and a concussion."

Dick stirred suddenly, his small fingers curling in the elder man's grasp. Blue eyes fluttered beneath dark eyelashes for just a moment before finally sliding open to look blearily at his mentor. "Bruce?" he croaked, voice distorted behind the oxygen mask. He pulled his hand away just long enough to tug at the offensive equipment, only to have Bruce hush him.

"Leave it there, chum."

"He can take it off while he's awake," Leslie acknowledged. "It's precautionary."

Bruce nodded and slipped the mask from the teen's face, smoothing his hair back down where it had been ruffled. He found the smaller hand grasping for his again, and he realized just how vulnerable the child was at that moment. He could take down many villains in Gotham City and beyond, but then, right there, he was just Dick Grayson and he was very, very small.

"'m sorry," Dick managed, eyes saying it better than his voice could.

"We'll talk about it when you're better."

"But…" He cringed, as if he were forcing himself to focus against the pain that had crept up on him. "But… Don't…."

Bruce leaned closer. "Don't what, Dick?" he asked softly.

A single tear slipped down his cheek. "'m sorry. Don't…" He began to shake, sobs threatening him, and Bruce felt very much at a loss. Then it clicked.

"Everything's okay, partner. We'll get him. Just rest."

Dick seemed to relax at his words and he nestled back into his pillows, Bruce's hand clutched tightly in his own.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

A/N: So, there's a chance that some people reading this may not follow the comic series, so just to explain: There's a point (I believe it's in Robin: Year One) where Robin, age ten or so, is caught up in a situation with Two Face that nearly costs him his life. The person they are trying to save does, in fact, die, and Robin is nearly beaten to death by Two Face with a baseball bat. Bruce fires him after that, pretty harshly. That is what I'm referencing back to in this chapter, and what Dick's biggest fear is: to be separated permanently from the Dynamic Duo. I'm a little worried I made Bruce too soft in this, but hopefully not.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So, I need to write faster, because my once-a-day postings is starting to catch up with where I am in the story.

**Unbreakable**

The next time that Dick woke he was in his own bed. He shifted, feeling his drug-clouded mind moving slower than he would have liked. He pieced together the events of the past hours – he didn't know how many, and he could have even been days – very slowly. He'd fallen. No, he'd been thrown and he fell. He fell and he'd gotten up, thinking that the pain wasn't as bad as it could have been. And then it got worse. And worse. He had glimpses of memories that seemed to pull together and swirl around like water going down a drain. Dr. Leslie had been there, Alfred, a very worried Barbara, and Bruce. Bruce was home.

He could hear Bruce down the hall, voice low as he spoke. Barbara's chimed in, saying something about school. He struggled to listen, but couldn't quite grasp everything being said. He moved again, feeling his muscles tense and he stopped.

"You'll call if there's any change, right?" That was Babs, just outside his door. Dick tried to call out, stop her from leaving, but his throat was so dry that all it produced was a short, painful cough.

Her footsteps echoed down the hall, retreating, and he was left alone in the darkened room. It was a few moments later that the door was pushed open. Bruce peered in, his eyes locking with a Dick's. "Hey there, chum," he greeted. "How're you feeling?"

Dick wasn't able to get any more passed his lips than he had a moment before and the coughs turned into a fit. Bruce crossed the space between them without hesitation, holding him up so that he could get more air into his lungs. He reached for a glass of water that was waiting for him and eased it to the teen's dry lips.

"Thanks," Dick rasped.

Bruce set the glass back down and reached a hand to his ward's face. "Fever's all but gone," he acknowledged. "How do you feel?"

"Like I want to get the license of the truck that hit me."

His mentor cracked a smile. "I'm working on that."

Dick blinked, memories piecing themselves together in his aching head. "He knew you," he said suddenly. "Lacko knew you."

"He does," the elder man admitted softly.

"How?"

Bruce pursed his lips together thoughtfully. He tilted his head in silent question and the teen scooted over, wincing only slightly as he did so, and gave the elder man room to sit down. "There was a day, many years ago, when Thomas Lacko wasn't a bad man. In fact, he was one of the men I went to when I traveled."

"He trained you?"

"A bit."

"In what?"

"Acrobatics."

Dick nodded after a moment, taking the information in and processing it. "What happened? What went wrong?"

"Even then we had a… different approach to things. One day it became very obvious and we went out separate ways."

"There's more to it then that, isn't there?"

Bruce cocked his head to the sight, hiding his thoughts from his face. "Yes."

There was a long pause while Dick waited, but his mentor seemed lost in thought, unable or unwilling to continue momentarily. "Bruce?"

"He traveled with a small band of gypsies through Eastern Europe at the time. Late one night a man came into the camp – this is what I've been told. I wasn't there at the time – and tried to rob them. In the process, a little girl was killed. Lacko's niece. I returned the next day and he told me that he couldn't allow the man to live. I told him that I wouldn't be part of a murder – revenge or otherwise. I was young, idealistic, and the argument heated. He threatened me and I left."

"Were you afraid of him?" Dick asked, not really sounding as if he believed that it were possible.

"When I first decided to take this path, I said that I would do what I could to prevent death. You know that."

"Yeah."

"That night, when we talked about his little niece, I found myself wanting to join him in his vengeance, no matter what the cost. There were many things that he taught me, many good things, but if I had followed him that night on that one trek, I would never have been able to be who I am today. That frightened me."

"And he hates you for it?"

"Apparently."

"Why?" He coughed, one hand going to this throat and he started to reach for the water at his bedside. Bruce stopped him with one look and grabbed it for him, allowing the teen to have the dignity, at least, to take it in his own hand once it was near and drink it.

Dick's cell phone began buzzing loudly on the table and the elder man took hold of it, looking only momentarily before clicking the accept button.

Wally West's voice was the kind that carries well over phones. No one had to put him on speaker for the speedster to be heard. "Rob? Where the hell have you been? We've been trying to reach you for _days_!"

"I'm afraid he's currently unavailable," Bruce answered, his voice deeper than it had been and radiating all authority of the Batman.

Dick tried not to laugh as he could literally hear Wally gulp on the other end of the phone. "Mr. Wayne?"

"Good evening, Wally. Dick is doing better. Let your team know that." He paused, glancing at his injured ward. "Also, tell Aqualad that Batman will need to have a very serious conversation with him once this is done and over with."

"Yes sir," Wally stuttered out. "But he is OK?"

"Yes."

"Okay… Okay. Well, could you tell him we're worried? To let us know when he's feeling better?"

"I'll relay the message."

"Thanks."

Bruce didn't bother saying goodbye as he hung the phone up, tossing it back to the table. "He's worse than his uncle."

"Wally's a good guy," Dick mumbled as he nestled back into his pillows. "He's a good friend."

"He's been calling for days."

"You didn't answer it?"

"I wasn't going to tell them you were alright until I knew it myself."

Dick nodded, feeling sleepy. "Hey Bruce?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Not being mad."

"Who said I wasn't mad?"

Blue eyes flew open to find a small smile perking his mentor's lips. Dick relaxed just as suddenly as he had tensed and felt himself being pulled back into the lull of sleep.

* * *

><p>The next two weeks were devoted to rest, recovery, and study. Gotham Academy had been informed that Dick had been very ill and required by his doctor to stay in bed without exception. He was required to write full papers in place of his midterms, which he did with some reluctance. He saw little of Bruce during those weeks, and he knew that the Batman was tracking down Tommy Lacko. With each night that Dick woke to a slamming door he knew that Batman had returned empty handed.<p>

Lacko had disappeared without a trace, a useful talent that seemed to stretch back to when Bruce had known him. There were no traces of him or anyone connected to him. It was enough to drive a man mad looking for him.

At the end of his two-week period Leslie reluctantly gave permission for the youth to return to school. He was, though, under no uncertain circumstances, to put the mask on until thoroughly cleared by her and her alone. Dick accepted these terms, if for no other reason than to get out of the house.

School had never come as much of a challenge, even a college prep school like Gotham Academy. Dick had skipped a grade upon entering the academy, declining the offer to skip over another one. Already small for his age, he didn't feel the need to attract any more attention from his peers.

His first day back was tiring. He thought Barbara was going to knock him over when he walked through the doors. It wasn't as if she hadn't visited him while he was on bed rest, but to see him up and about did her good.

"Did I miss anything important?" Dick asked as he sat at the table in the courtyard, lunch tray in hand.

"Just the usual," Barbara answered with a shrug of her petite shoulders. "Oh, Bette seems to have started a Robin fanclub after school."

"Seriously?"

"With a cardboard cut out and everything," Barbara giggled. "You'd think she'd have better taste."

"Hey!"

The day passed without any great, noteworthy happening. A few people seemed happy to have their "good friend" back in order to help them on their homework problems, and Barbara seemed to be sticking closer than usual, but all in all it was uneventful. Even so, Dick was more than ready to go home by the time the last bell rang and was dozing with a history book across his chest before Bruce made it home for dinner.

"Has he been like that long?"

Alfred nodded, not able to hide a small smile. "He's moved three times, trying to stay awake to read the chapter."

"Can't blame him."

"I wouldn't say we could."

Bruce moved across the room and ruffled the boy's hair lightly. When he only stirred he leaned down and picked him up. He hadn't carried him in this way in some time, and the teen had grown since, making his lanky form a bit awkward even for the Dark Knight to carry. Even so, Bruce held the slumbering boy close and carried him up the stairs to bed. He stirred only once on the way, mumbling something incoherently into Bruce's tie.

"Good night, son."

"G'night, Bruce."

* * *

><p>"When did I ever miss <em>this<em>?" Dick grumbled as he leaned towards the water fountain, barely missing the wild spray that would have soaked him.

"Since you were cooped up for two weeks straight," Barbara acknowledged, leaning against the lockers and waiting for him to figure a way around the waterworks.

He smirked as he gave the fountain a good kick, knocking it back into its usual state. Barbara didn't miss the cringe that crossed his young face, and she put a hand on his shoulder. "You sure you're okay?"

"Doc Leslie cleared me to be here."

"Not to do war with the water fountain though, I'm guessing?"

"No," Dick shrugged as he pulled his bag up to his shoulder and they began walking. "I'm sure that was on the _very_ long list of things not to do that she gave me."

"You heading home?"

"No, I was going to the labs to do some extra credit work. If I don't, I won't make an A and-"

"Poor baby," Barbara laughed, resisting the urge to ruffle his hair. "You want some company?"

"I'll take some dinner and company."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Is that your idea of a first date, Grayson? Late night at the chemistry lab?"

"First… what? No! That's not what I meant! I just… Well, you offered and I thought… I thought we'd get hungry."

"Kidding, short stuff," she laughed, giving him a light, playful shove. "Sandwich from the deli down the street?"

"The one with anchovies on it? And mayonnaise?"

"Do you even know how gross that is?"

Dick just grinned, pulling his wallet out of his pocket and handing her the cash to pay. "I'll be in the science lab."

"Please don't blow it up while I'm gone."

"Do my best."

* * *

><p>Several hours, two sandwiches, and far too much studying later, Dick and Barbara had had about enough of the science lab. The younger boy's hands had begun to shake from exhaustion and he was far overdue for the medication that Leslie had him taking every evening when he returned home from school. It was after the third time that Dick dropped the pencil while reaching to scribble notes on his paper that Barbara finally plucked in from his fingers, giving her best stern look. "I think we're done here."<p>

"I've got to finish this."

"Says who?"

"Ms. Cates."

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Ms. Cates hates you. She'll have you doing extra credit until you're blue in the face. Or falling down, which may actually come first." She reached out and steadied him as he stood from the stool, swaying.

"'m fine."

"Sit. I clean this up and we can finish it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's Saturday."

"We'll talk to the guard. They'll let us in. Half this equipment is donated by the Wayne Foundation anyway."

"Over half," Dick answered with a large yawn.

"Point," the redhead laughed as she began clearing beakers and test tubes out of the way. "Are we the only ones here at this hour? I've never stayed this late."

"The night guard, Mr. Gallagher, is patrolling and sometimes Artemis stays late in the math lab."

Barbara glanced over her shoulder as she finished rinsing the beakers. "Artemis? Does she… know?"

"No."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"I can't. I can't tell any of them."

"Wally knows."

"And you don't think I got chewed out for that one? It was a long time ago. Artemis can't know. It's not that I don't trust her. I do. I trust them all with my life."

"Who are you lobbing me in with?"

Barbara and Dick spun around, finding the blonde teen leaning against the door. She looked tired and ready to go home.

"No one," Dick grinned, sliding off the stool. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Math lab. Like every Friday night."

"Little later tonight."

"Not really. What about you two?"

"Catching up on some extra credit. You need a ride home? I was just about to call Alfred to come pick us up."

"I don't think Barbara's a big fan of mine," Artemis grumbled, the two girls locking eyes.

"I don't care who Dick takes home," the redhead answered hotly as she switched the light off.

"Listen, Ginger, I don't know what your problem is with me, but-"

"Did you guys here that?" Dick asked suddenly, eyes going to the window. Nothing seemed to stir under the moon outside.

"I don't have a problem with you."

"Listen, you-"

Dick was behind them both suddenly, his hands going over either of their mouths as he pulled them back, down, and under one of the tables. He could feel their surprise at his actions, but they both stopped suddenly as they could hear the tapping of footsteps coming closer down the hall.

TBC

* * *

><p>AN: A couple notes. One, the bit about Bette. Granted, I've never read back that far, but apparently Bette is the original "Bat-girl" (I don't think to be confused with our Batgirl, but who knows) and supposedly worshipped Robin. I could totally see Bette having the hugest crush on the Boy Wonder and snubbing Dick like none other. Adorable, at least in my mind.

I'm a big proponent of feedback. Any help that I can get to become a better author (be it of fanfiction or my own work) is a great asset to me. So, that being said, questions, concerns, words of adoration? Really, as long as it's constructive, I'm good.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I finished this story this morning, so there will probably only be one more chapter after this one. I really just had to get this one out of my head so that I could work on my own novel, lol! I have a writing conference coming up that I need to finish it for, and while deadlines are evil, they're still there. Wish me luck on finish it up on time and such. Enjoy!

**Unbreakable**

Barbara relaxed first. "You said Mr. Gallagher's on patrol right? It's just-"

"It's not," Artemis snapped, voice low and dangerous. Her eyes followed Dick's and they watched the shadows move. The lights were off, but the door to the lab stood wide open, as if to broadcast to the world that it had been in use. Well-made shoes came into view, leather and expensive, pausing at the door.

The three teens paused, scarcely breathing, and waited. Their visitor seemed uninterested in moving, leaving them in their cramped hiding place, each apparently trying to wait the other out. Dick felt his ribs give protest at the awkward position, and he shifted very slightly. Artemis glared at him and he shot her an apologetic look.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, the shoes could be seen moving out the door and they heard footsteps retreating down the hall. When they were sure that the intruder was far enough away, they let out a collective breath that they had been holding.

"Who the hell was that?" Artemis hissed.

"I don't know, but it wasn't Mr. Gallagher," Barbara grumbled.

"Not any of the teachers either. Did you see those shoes? What? Italian leather, custom? Not on their salaries."

"So, I ask again: who the hell was that?" the blonde growled out.

"Could be nothing," Dick murmured, eyes distant in thought. "I think we should get out of here. We can wait for Alfred around the corner. There should be a coffee shop still open."

"If it's nothing, then why are you running?"

Blue eyes narrowed and Artemis' smirk faded from her face. "I'm not running," Dick answered icily.

"Listen, kid, I didn't mean to ruffle your feathers. Let's just get out of here."

The youngest of the three nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "They purposefully kill the signal in here. C'mon. We need to get to the gates before I can get anyone."

They walked as quietly as they could, careful that each step was silent. The flooring made it difficult, and the acoustics of the building made their light steps sound almost deafening to their own ears. Slowly, as quietly as possible, they made their way down the corridor and to the main door. Dick frowned as he tugged on it. "Locked. Mr. Gallagher should have-"

"Dick, I don't think Mr. Gallagher's going to do anything," Barbara said from a few feet away, voice sounding faint.

"What are you…. Oh," Artemis nearly gasped, seeing what the police commissioner's daughter saw. Mr. Gallagher, the friendly night watch for Gotham Academy, had never been much of a threat to anyone. He was a round, jovial man, that took his time on his rounds, always willing to speak with stragglers that stayed late or early birds that came in at the wee hours of the morning. There was always a smile on the man's face, no matter the hour. Now he lay, in a darkened corner of the main room, dead. He hadn't even gotten to his weapon.

"I think we need to get out," Artemis breathed.

"Now," Dick answered dangerously.

The three spun, feeling the breath leave their body as a dark figured sauntered into the main room. Tall and lanky, Tommy Lacko was held a frightening glisten in his eyes as he watched each teen. It was a predatorily look, and it finally came to rest on Dick. "I'd heard," he drawled, an accent very faint to his voice, "but I couldn't believe it. Not until I saw it myself, but there you are."

Dick controlled his breathing, doing his best to give nothing away. Lacko knew who he was, and more than likely, knew the identities of the girls on either side of him as well. He had left himself open. Again. And this time he was putting their identities and their lives on the line in this darkened school with no help at all. It had cost Mr. Gallagher his life and could very well cost them theirs.

"Listen, Mister, I don't know who you think we are, but we're-"

"Don't play dumb, boy!" Lacko roared, his cool exterior shattering suddenly and he lunged forward, grabbing Dick by the collar of his uniform jacket. He hauled the boy entirely off his feet so that he was looking at him straight in the eye, ignoring the screams of protests from his female companions. "Don't ever play dumb with me."

A smirk flickered to the youth's face. "'kay," he acknowledged, and kicked out. Hard. His shoe landed square in Lacko's sternum, sending the tall man stumbling back and releasing the boy in his grasp. Dick dropped to the floor, swaying slightly, and turned towards his friends. "Run!" he ground out between clenched teeth, and gave them no room to argue as he pushed them forward and down the hall.

The three teens sprinted down the corridor, not caring about the noise they made. They rounded this corner and that, trying to find a door that would open to the outside. The windows were shut down. The doors were locked. They were trapped in the school with no cell signal and a villain that had suddenly become larger than life. His voice echoed off the walls.

"He told you not to fight me, didn't he? He knew what would happen."

"Computer lab!" Dick snapped lowly, rounding the corner ahead of the girls. He nearly slammed into the door, nearly knocking the breath out of himself, and pushed hard against it. They closed it with a little more care, blocking it at least temporarily with a chair under the handle.

"What's going on?" Artemis demanded, feeling the rising panic take hold. "How does he know you? What the hell does he want with you?"

"Think, Artemis," Dick growled out as he moved towards one of the computers. He pulled it up and his fingers began to move deftly across the keyboard. Lines of code began to read out across it before **ACCESS DENIED** scrawled across in big, ugly red letters. The dark haired teen frowned and spoke into the microphone. "Wayne Tech override. RG4."

The computer seemed to think on this, announcing that it was analyzing through voice recognition.

"Our school computers can do that?" Barbara gasped.

"Wayne Tech. Over half of it," Dick answered with a grin.

**ACCESS GRANTED. WELCOME.**

"Finally!" He turned his attention back to the computer, fingers flying again.

Artemis glanced out the window in the door, to Dick, and then back to the window. "Robin," she breathed. "Well, I know who to go to now if I need my grades changed in the computer system."

Dick just grinned. "Okay, bypassing the computer systems and hacking into his overrides. He's not going to out-hack me."

"Well, out-hack him quickly, short stuff. He's coming down the hall and he doesn't look happy."

"He's just pissed I'm alive," the younger boy said with a shrug.

Artemis peered over his shoulder, looking at what he was doing. She couldn't make out everything that he was working on, but could tell when the schematics of the school lit the screen. "Gotcha," the youth murmured and set his phone next to the computer. "It'll just take a sec."

"We don't have a sec, Dick!" Barbara cried, taking a step back as something crashed into the door.

"That seems bigger than it should," Artemis murmured.

"Like all that strength shouldn't be in such a lean guy?" the redhead asked as she readied herself for the potential fight.

"Exactly."

"Got it!" Dick announced and he moved to the window at the far end of the lab. "Come on!"

The girls raced after him, climbing out. He risked one glance back, seeing Lacko's eyes burning dangerously. Any semblance of calm had been flushed out of him, and he was working on pure rage now. He gave out a cry after them, grabbing at Dick's ankle and just barely missing. The former acrobat slammed the window back down, closing it on the elder man's hands. His fingers moved across his phone's keyboard, replacing the code to lock the window down tight.

"He'll just break through!" Artemis yelled as they took a step back.

"Nah. That's bullet-proof glass right there. There's no way he'd be able to-"

Lacko's fist hit the glass once. Twice. Three times, and it began to crack.

"You were saying, Boy Wonder?" Barbara deadpanned.

Dick swallowed hard. "Go that way. Towards the gate. Call for help."

"What about you?"

"He's after me. I'll be the distraction."

"That's a stupid plan!" Barbara growled.

"That's not even a plan!" Artemis snapped.

The glass shattered from the window and Dick gave them a shove in the direction of the school gates. "Go!" he cried out, taking off the opposite way. "Lacko! Hey! Ugly! You want me? Come get me!"

Lacko let out a roar, angry and feral sounding as he took off after the injured teen. Dick sprinted harder than he would have liked to, his school shoes keeping no traction on the grassy land. The one advantage that he saw was that he knew the grounds, and he took that advantage with all that he had. He rounded a corner, barely missing the brick siding to the building, and felt Lacko's fingers grabbed at his uniform jacket. He pulled it off his shoulders, wincing, and flung it backwards to where it flew in his face.

He used the temporary blindness to hurl himself up, grabbing hold of the fencing around the tennis courts. He'd gained a few footsteps ahead now and he climbed up, feeling his ribs ache in protest. He reached the top and stood, balanced on the top pole, and started down with ease. His plan was to slow Lacko down by taking him off solid ground. He hadn't counted on the elder man being able to follow him.

"Wayne didn't tell you what I taught him?" Lacko called out, face distorted into something that might have been a sneer. "I taught the Bat how to fly!" He moved forward, balanced with equal grace on the fence as the youth. "I find it ironic, honestly, that he would take in a Romani boy. An acrobat, at that. I didn't think Bruce was so sentimental of our relationship."

"I have nothing to do with you!" Dick yelled. He was reaching the end of the fence. He would either have to drop down or reach out to the branch of a near tree and take that rout. From the looks of it, though, Lacko would be able to follow.

"I think you have everything to do with me, boy," Lacko snapped, eyes blazing. "You think that Bruce Wayne took you in out of the goodness of his heart? Little gypsy boy that knew nothing of a billionaire's world? He never finished, and that's the truth there. He never finished learning just what it is to fly and to soar above mankind, but you know, don't you?"

Dick felt the corner of the fence and he glanced back. Decision time.

"You've always known how to fly."

Lacko reached out, grabbing for him, but this time Dick was ready. He leapt backwards, curling in around himself and flipping to a safe landing on the ground below. He staggered, only slightly, in his landing, and his arm went to his ribs. Lacko's eyes locked with his and they stood there a moment, his mentor's teacher glaring down at him with jealousy in his eyes.

"Well done!" the villain cheered, clapping his hands together theatrically. "Very well done! A triple flip in that short space, and with injuries like you have? I have to admit that I'm impressed." He pulled a gun from his jacket pocket, aiming it at the boy. "I suppose some birds you have to hunt the old fashion way."

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

A/N: I used to be scared to death to write actions scenes, but I think I'm getting better. What do you think? Please feel free to push the little button that says that you want to leave a review. Believe me, it always brings a smile to my face. =) -See?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So, I tried to post this a few minutes ago, and it reposted chapter four... Second time's the charm? Enjoy!

**Unbreakable**

Barbara and Artemis stopped just shy of the gate, seeing two men that they recognized from their first encounter with Lacko standing at the entrance. The looked around, on guard for any of the young teens trying to escape.

"Still no cell service," Barbara grumbled, checking her phone.

"You really think your dad and the cops are going to be able to beat that guy? Do you _remember_ what he did to Robin last time?"

The redhead stopped, feigning her best confused look. "What…?"

"Really? Now is when you're going to cling to the secret identity? We have to save him now. I don't think anything else matters."

Barbara stared for a moment, seeing the intensity in the blonde's eyes. "That's why he trusts you. Maybe he's not so off afterall."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm hoping you're good without your bow."

"I'm good."

"I'll take left if you'll take right."

A grin spread across the taller girl's face. "Deal."

The two guards didn't know what hit them. They were expendable, of course, else Lacko would have put someone there that put up more of a fight. The girls left them in a heap on the lawn, walking towards the gate. "They take the no phones on school grounds seriously," the redhead grumbled as she rattled the gate. "Locked." Without warning she jumped up, catching the top half and pulling herself over the massive rods of iron. She flipped easily to the other side and landed.

"Got it?"

"Got it."

* * *

><p>Dick dodged, moving, flipping, and shifting out of the way. His body protested every step, threatening the freeze up if he didn't stop. His breaths were coming in hitched gasps now, and he felt one knee give out before he caught himself. Lacko let out a laugh, standing on the corner of the fence with the higher advantage point. The teen ducked behind a tree, hearing a bullet ricocheted off the bark.<p>

"Come out, little bird."

He pressed himself up against the tree, trying to stay upright. Everything hurt and he couldn't quite pull together enough energy to burst forward in a sprint. If he didn't move just right he would go down. At this point Lacko would kill him.

"Bruce was never good with kids," Lacko called out as he paced the tall fencing, trying to get a better view at his prey. "Tell me, little bird, how is it growing up in the shadow of the Batman? Surely you've about lived up to your usefulness by now. You've been with him – what? – four or five years? Anything that he could possibly learn from your days on the trapeze has long since been learned, and you seem to have slowed down after our last encounter. What good are you now?"

He was trying to bait him. Dick knew that. In his head he knew that, but as he stood there, cornered against a tree, feeling the exhaustion and the pain tug harshly at him, he couldn't help but listen. Bruce kept him around because he cared. He had a hard time showing it, but Bruce did care about him. Really.

The sound of something small hitting the tree was Dick's only warning and he threw himself away before the bomb went off, splintering the old oak in every direction. He rolled, crying out as he did, and stopped. He was facedown on the ground and not sure he would be able to get up. He could hear Lacko jump down and his footsteps against the grass. He was coming closer and the boy tried to push himself up, tried to keep fighting, but the weight of the elder man's shoe crashing down on his back kept him in the dirt.

"Guess that means he doesn't need you any more, hmm?" Lacko sneered.

"Wrong."

He knew that voice. Dick knew that voice beyond any other. The pressure let up immediately when he heard the sound of a boot colliding with his captor. Lacko went flying back, landing hard and Batman stood protectively over his protégé. Dick rolled to his back and nodded.

Batman moved forward, dark cape swirling around him in the moonlit night. He didn't acknowledge Barbara or Artemis joining his ward, nor anything that surrounded them. It was as if his sole concentration was on Thomas Lacko and they were the only ones left in the world. The two of them and their angry past.

"Quite a kid you found there, Bruce," Lacko purred as the Dark Knight hauled him to his feet. "Even looks a bit like you. Tell me, what would you do if he were to die?"

He looked calm, and his motions appeared effortless as Batman swung a former teacher of his around – easily as if he had been a doll in the hands of a child – and slammed him against the fence a few yards away. Lacko sagged down, not quite falling, but breathing hard.

"I thought you didn't let yourself get attached, Bruce. Tell me, you wouldn't kill for my niece, but would you for that kid? That kid you had nothing to do with before you saw his parents plunged to their deaths?"

Batman was on him again, but this time Lacko fought back, matching blow for blow. As much skill as the Dark Knight had in movement, Lacko was quick and agile, reminding him of a gymnast. He jumped up and used the younger man's shoulders to catapult off of, landing gracefully on the ground. Then he just stood there, smiling. "Would you kill for him, Bruce?"

Dick tensed at the words and Barbara laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to keep him seated. He shook his head as he watched his mentor cross the distance between them and laid blow after blow, unrelenting. The teen hadn't seen such rage in him in a very long time, and he knew it wasn't what he was meant to be. Not what he wanted to be. He would regret it after the pain subsided.

Batman didn't acknowledge the boy's approach, but he froze instantly when a young hand grabbed at his arm. He looked back, feeling the anger sluff off, and he looked back down at the man in his hands.

Lacko smiled crookedly. "Show me what you're capable of, Bruce."

The Dark Knight took an almost shaky breath. "I'm not you," he acknowledged and dropped him to the ground.

"I could have killed him! I will kill him!"

"No, you won't, because you would gain nothing from it now. I'm not you." He turned, taking Dick by the shoulders and leading him away. "The police are on their way. Let's go home."

Lacko shook, enraged. "I'll tell them everything! Then what will you do? Your precious secrets! Your lives!"

"To what end?" Batman asked, only stopping, but never turning back to him. "What will it gain you?"

They walked away as the sirens filled the night. Lacko, broken in more ways than one, continued to shout what they both knew were empty threats until he and the three young heroes were out of range.

* * *

><p>Saturdays were good days. It meant no school, and, if he were lucky, time with Bruce. Training was out today. He knew that when he woke and could barely pull himself out of bed. Alfred had been there to make sure that all three teens were well taken care of before offering both Artemis and Barbara a ride home. Of course, that had been after a lengthy conversation between a somewhat nervous Artemis and a very stern Batman over secrets and expectations.<p>

Now it was morning, and Dick felt as if he had been tossed around like a ragdoll in a dryer.

Bruce was sitting at the long table when he finally made it downstairs. His coffee was still steaming, showing that he had only been there a few minutes. Even the great Batman had slept in that morning. He had the paper out in front of him, reading an article that said something about the arrest of one Thomas Lacko.

"Morning," Dick greeted.

Bruce put the paper down, gracing the teen with a smile. "Good morning, chum. How do you feel this morning?"

"At least we got the driver of the semi this time," Dick quipped, taking a seat next to his mentor. Alfred acknowledged that he would have the teen's breakfast out to him quickly and he thanked him. "What does the paper say?"

"Looks like he doesn't remember a thing," Bruce answered with a shrug.

"So he won't say anything?"

"He probably _doesn't_ remember." Bruce leaned his head back, looking tired. "I ran a few tests while Alfred was taking a look at you three last night. Looks like Lacko was experimenting with a new type of Venom. It enhances one's abilities without any outside effects. Apparently, it also induces extreme violent behavior where it might not have been before."

"You think it was the Venom that made him come after us?"

"I think the Venom enhanced his feelings," Bruce acknowledged. "He felt betrayed by me and the drug made it worse."

"I guess that would explain the increased sporadic behavior," Dick mused, his breakfast put down in front of him and he began to eat. "So he has no memories of anything that happened?"

"From what I can tell of the serum, it's possible that his memories have been wiped since he began taking it. I'll have to wait on the results of how long its been in his system and all of those details."

"So he won't remember?"

"No, he shouldn't remember."

Dick sighed, shoveling a forkful of French toast into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing, looking as if he wanted to ask something, but couldn't quite bring himself to.

"Go ahead," Bruce encouraged.

"Lacko said that you took me in because I reminded you of him… because of where I come from and my skills and everything."

Bruce took a sip of his coffee, letting the words sink in for a moment. "You are… talented, Dick. You've even taught me a few things about acrobatics since you've come to live here, but that's not _why_ I brought you here." He stopped, took another gulp of hot coffee, and watched his ward's reaction over the lip of the cup. Dick sat and watched him, carefully, guardedly, and awaiting a full answer. "You do not remind me of him in any other way than your skill level. If anything, you remind me of what I wish I could have been at your age. Driven, but not by hatred or revenge."

"I've been there."

"I know you have, but you chose the right path, and I think, in the end, you bring more balance to this partnership than you'll ever know."

It was as if a burden lifted off of him and Dick sprang up, chair nearly flying back, and he very suddenly wrapped his arms around Bruce's neck. The elder man smiled, feeling the young teen cling to him, and reached up to return the embrace. "Thanks, Bruce," the boy murmured.

"So, chum, what do you feel like doing today?"

"What?"

"Just you and me. I took the day off work, the school is closed off for investigation, so you don't have the option of finishing your project, and I think its past time for us to have a day off."

A smile lit the teen's face. "There's this technology convention in Metropolis today, and it's supposed to be totally cool! I know you know about it, because I heard that your company donated some tech to it, and you could get us in. Can we go Bruce? It's still early enough! Can we go?"

"You sure you're up to it?"

"Completely!"

The elder man shook his head, laughing. "Get dressed. Looks like we're going to Metropolis today."

The grin brightened, if possible, and Dick reached over and shoved the last bight of toast into his mouth, taking off for the stairs. Any stiffness he might have felt seemed well washed away from the excitement. If he would feel it later, it couldn't be seen now. He stopped, suddenly, halfway up the staircase. "Maybe we could invite Clark and see if he'll get Conner to come?"

"Leave that one alone, chum. Get dressed."

Dick nodded, leaving Bruce to his thoughts and his now-cold coffee. A ghost of a smile still remained on the unmasked Dark Knight's lips. Clark had still not come around to the boy that had been thrust into his own life, but Bruce had faith that he would. He remembered his own first days with Dick in the house, how awkward and bizarre it had been, but he thought the teen had come out fairly well. He stood, stretched, and grabbed for his cell. "Hey, Clark, it's Bruce. What are you up to today? Dick and I will be in town for a tech convention and he mentioned Conner might be interested. It may be high time those two boys meet outside the Cave…."

* * *

><p>END<p>

A/N: Well, this has been a blast to write. I hope y'all have had as much fun reading as I did writing it. As I've said before, please leave any constructive criticism or anything else you'd like to say for me. I tend to use ideas that come up for fanfiction in original works as well.


End file.
